Double Jeopardy

 

By Andrea Merrell

Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

Job 5:2 NIV

I listened to the woman’s story. Through tears, she told me about the abuse she had suffered for years. “My life is ruined,” she said. “Things could not possibly get any worse.”

But they did.

Unable—and unwilling—to forgive her abuser and give the situation to the Lord, the guilt, shame, and condemnation she carried became so heavy she felt crushed beneath the weight.

The anguish deep within soon turned to anger. She developed a victim mentality and found herself dealing with a root of bitterness that ruled her every waking thought and invaded her dreams. It colored her words and controlled her actions. It affected her relationship with others, her self-worth, and her attitude toward God. She found herself living in double jeopardy—persecuted and prosecuted twice for the same offense.

The suffering we go through in this life will eventually make us wiser and stronger if we deal with it God’s way. But allowing it to fester can eventually become worse than anything we’ve actually gone through.

The Bible says, resentment kills a fool and bitterness is like a poison. They can harm you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—even physically. No matter what you’ve gone through, don’t be foolish. Don’t allow it to ruin your life. Give it to God. Forgive and move on. That’s how you experience His peace and His unspeakable joy.

Don’t wait. Do it today.

Photo by Jurica Koletić on Unsplash

The Harmful Effects of Anger and Resentment

By Andrea Merrell

Anger. It’s something we’re all familiar with to some degree. For me, it was a problem I dealt with on a daily basis for years—not understanding why, and not realizing how it was affecting me and those around me.

Everything seemed to make me angry. I was a volcano looking for place to erupt. There were skeletons in my emotional closet that continually rattled, reminding me of past hurts, betrayals, and failures. Those dry bones caused resentment and sent me into a tirade. This went on so long that anger and resentment became my default, causing me to respond in a negative way, no matter how hard I tried not to.

Even when trying to overcome this hateful, harmful behavior by stuffing it deep inside, it was doing more harm than I could imagine.

This is what pastor and author Bob Gass says about the subject:

Doctors say resentment eats at your stomach lining, attacks your immune system, and predisposes you to heart problems, cancers, and other physical, social, and emotional disorders. And that’s not all. It preoccupies your mind, drains your energy, and cripples your creativity. It strains your fellowship with God, your family and friends, as well as denying your offender an opportunity to clear their conscience and make things right with God and with you. Until you deal with the issue, you’ll drag it around like a ball and chain.

No matter how you slice and dice it, anger and resentment are born from selfishness. Just like a child, this is how we respond when we don’t get  our way. These emotions are also, as God showed me, a choice. We can make a conscious decision to react in anger or respond in love. Love acts; it does not react. When I finally took responsibility for my actions and made the choice to put away anger and walk in love, God set me free.

If you’re battling with anger issues, take them to the Lord and ask for His help. Make the decision to put away resentment and walk in God’s peace. Don’t allow these harmful emotions to wreck your mind, your body, or your relationships.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

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Don’t allow anger to wreck your mind, your body, or your relationships. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

Love acts; it does not react. The choice is up to you. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)